New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-03
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
BOOKS UPON ART.


CLAUDE LIE LORRAIN By OWEN DULLrA. Great
Artists s.rie. Illustrated l6mo PIP l4A scri0
nor Wexford
AN INTRODUCTION TO GREEK SCULPTURE. ByL
C. UPcorE pp. 13b Clarendon Press.
Lady Nke,s elaborate monograph, added TO the
preyiously con siderable body of literature relating
to Claude Gellee, has left little 60 be done by
! new writer save in the way of condensation anu
rear cement. This task has been servlceapiy
performed by NJ. Dullea who gives IN additon 10 d
biographical sketch translation OF Clandes Will,
the inscriptions on the drawings OF the Ltoer
Veritates" and an account of the present DISPOSE
ton of as many possible OF his pictures-thus
fun ishing catalogue rdisonnee as we'll as
biography In fact the tastes of the author seem to
run rather in the direction of cataiogue-making
than of the biography which clearly pictures bis
subjects surroundings and backgrounds, and takes
a broad view of his individual development IL Is
true that Claude's life was not eventiu!, IN one
sepsa nor is his personality distinct to our eyes,
put there was ample material for other than the
dry -asdust treatment. useful as that may De. MT
Dnllea writes without enthusiasm, which. perhaps,
is not altogether strange The enthusiasm OF the
unreasoning Claude-worship which prev allied IN
the Eighteenth century and il the early part OF the
Nineteenth will not be seen again. There was
time " hen even his weak figures and wonderfui
"c'assic piles" with their rows of grandiose
columns were admired without discrimination
equally with his aerial effects his mastery OF light
and sir The reaction against the extreme claude
cult was not due altogether to Turner and Ruskin,
as Nh Dulea seems to infer. 1t was largely due 10
impatience at the elaboration and abstIuseness Oh
the old formal school of Landscape, to yearning
for landscape treated Enthusiastically II the express
sion may he allowed, but as the vehicle Tor tho
expression of feeling In other words the rise OF
Constable IN England ard the movement headed by
pnu
meant STANDARD of sympathy and taste utterly
ipcompatibIe with admiration for the school which
for so many years existed upon the traditions OF
Claude and Poussin. In the many changes from the
French romanticsts down to our reaists ana
impressonsts aud painters of hooks and corners the
school of Claude" has had little part, yet Ciau"e
is more intelligently rated by students now than
hundred years ago. Ruskin's idolatry OF turner
has made him at times unjust to Claude LIE Lorrain'
The latter's claims to fame are not merely on
account of his historical rank. 1t was much, that
while his predecessors the Venetians, the Flemngs
and the Italian eclectcs, had only timidly and
tentatively made landscapes the SUBJECTS vi lew
pictures Claude freed landscape art from subordi~
nation to igure-painting and developed It, But his
art has fairly won his critics admiration, ana
we find Rushin saying Claude effected revolu-
sion in art This revolution consisted mainly In
setting the sun in heaven. Till Claudes time no
one had thought of painting the sun but conven-
tionally." And again Ruskin says: "Clauds made
the sun his subject and painted the effects OF misty
shadows cast by his rays over the landscape and
other delicate aerial transitions as no ono had ever
done before, and in some respects, as no one has
done IN oil colors since"
:: Some years ago Mr.. Upcott began collection of
casts and photographs from the antiques at MARI
borough College, and wrote historical sketch as
guide The idea has been amDlifed in the present
volume. The author, he says, has passed lightly
over the earlier period of development as being of
less interest to the young student; have worked
from existing remains, and only used literary
record as help to their right interpr citation.
i have avoided purely archaeological detail and
assumed a good deal that am aware may be
matter of controversy" With this understanding
of the book It need only be sail that it tufls its
purpose well. Certain allowances are required as
matter of course but the principles conveyed seem
correct and great deal Of helpful instruction is
furnished in the discussions of examples OF
sculpture reI resentpg successive epochs The book
wonld be- Invaluable for class in gallery of
casts, but unhappily collections of casts are not
common in orr schools nor in our colleges and
even sone of art museums are scantliy supphed.